Temporary building enclosure

ABSTRACT

A temporary enclosure for enveloping a building under renovation, having a flexible cover material and a rigid support frame supporting the flexible cover material, where the rigid support frame has enclosure wall supports and scaffolding connecting the enclosure wall supports and the building, thereby reducing inclement weather access to the building during the renovation.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to construction, and more specifically but not by way of limitation, a building system that is configured to be positioned on an existing building such as but not limited to a residential home that is undergoing a remodel, wherein the present invention provides coverage of the building undergoing a significant remodel in order to provide control of the atmosphere and inhibit damage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The construction industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. There are many segments of construction with one of the largest being home and residential construction. This category is typically segmented into two types, new construction and remodels. The latter category can range from a simple bathroom or kitchen remodel to a complete renovation on a house. When executing a complete renovation on a house, this can include but is not limited to removing the roof and adding a floor to the existing structure. This type of remodel is quite extensive and involves a tremendous amount of planning. Floor additions and other significant remodels of houses require stringent production schedules, planning and weather management. The latter represents a huge challenge to the timely execution of the remodel.

One challenge with significant remodels is the ability to ensure no damage occurs to the existing structure during the remodel. This can especially occur if inclement weather such as but not limited to rain or snow occurs during the remodel. Currently, there are attempts to inhibit rain or snow from entering existing structures under remodel but often the rain or snow propagates into the structure and causes damage. While tarps and similar items have proven to be somewhat successful, they have not been shown to completely be effective. Furthermore, devices such as but not limited to tarps, are not capable of covering a structure so as to enable atmospheric control thereof.

It is intended within the scope of the present invention to provide a structural covering for a home or similar structure that is operable to provide complete coverage thereof and further enable atmospheric control of the structure undergoing the significant renovation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a temporary building enclosure configured to envelop a building undergoing a renovation wherein the present invention provides complete coverage of a building to which renovations are being performed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure operable to cover a building on which a renovation is being performed that further includes scaffolding and guardrails within the interior thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a temporary building enclosure configured to envelop a building undergoing a renovation wherein the present invention further includes piling and foundation support elements.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure operable to cover a building on which a renovation is being performed wherein the present invention further includes a wall structure that is adjacent to the wall structure of the building being renovated.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a temporary building enclosure configured to envelop a building undergoing a renovation wherein the present invention further includes a flooring system configured to extend across the temporary building structure.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure operable to cover a building on which a renovation is being performed wherein the present invention further includes anchoring components operable to be secured into the ground adjacent the installation of the present invention.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a temporary building enclosure configured to envelop a building undergoing a renovation wherein the present invention provides the ability to control the environment of the building undergoing renovation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure operable to cover a building on which a renovation is being performed wherein the present invention includes a roofing component to provide coverage of the interior volume thereof.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a temporary building enclosure configured to envelop a building undergoing a renovation wherein the roofing component of the present invention is insulated.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure operable to cover a building on which a renovation is being performed wherein the present invention includes a wall system that is composed of story pole construction for each level.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a temporary building enclosure configured to envelop a building undergoing a renovation wherein the present invention is adaptable to cover buildings of various sizes and shapes.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an enclosure operable to cover a building on which a renovation is being performed wherein the present invention provides integral connection of the roof and wall components.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a temporary building enclosure configured to envelop a building undergoing a renovation wherein the present invention is lightweight and simple to install.

According to a first broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a temporary enclosure for covering a building under renovation, the temporary enclosure comprising:

-   a flexible cover material; and -   a rigid support frame supporting the flexible cover material, the     rigid support frame comprising: enclosure wall supports; and -   scaffolding connecting the enclosure wall supports and the building; -   the rigid support frame sized and configured to fully envelop the     building; -   wherein the flexible cover material and the rigid support frame when     fully enveloping the building reduce inclement weather access to the     building during the renovation.

In some exemplary embodiments of the first broad aspect the flexible cover material is composed of tarpaulin. The scaffolding preferably comprises guardrails. The scaffolding preferably comprises pole slots along an outward edge thereof and the enclosure wall supports comprise storey poles configured for receipt and securing within the pole slots. The storey poles may be supported on foundation support elements, such as for one non-limiting example pilings.

The rigid support frame preferably comprises a roof component mounted on the enclosure wall supports. The roof component may comprise a plurality of truss components. Where the embodiment uses truss components, each of the truss components preferably comprises a central ridge component and two peripheral heel components, the central ridge component connectable to the peripheral heel components by connection members of lengths selected for or adjustable to the size of the building.

The scaffolding preferably comprises connection locations along an inward edge thereof for connecting the scaffolding to the building. The scaffolding is preferably configured and positioned for connection to the building at a floor level of the building. In some embodiments the temporary enclosure further comprises additional upper scaffolding above the scaffolding for connection to the enclosure wall supports and the building, and such additional upper scaffolding may be configured and positioned for connection to the building at an upper floor level of the building. Further, the scaffolding may be temporarily supported by a bracket against the building until receipt and securing of the storey poles in the pole slots.

A detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is given in the following. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be construed as being limited to these embodiments. The exemplary embodiments are directed to particular applications of the present invention, while it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention has applicability beyond the exemplary embodiments set forth herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a simplified front elevation sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified side elevation partly sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an exemplary scaffolding section in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of ridge and heel components for an exemplary roofing component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. The following description of examples of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form of any exemplary embodiment. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.

The present invention is directed to a temporary enclosure to be used to envelop a building under renovation, so as to reduce the impact of inclement weather. The temporary enclosure comprises a rigid support frame supporting a flexible cover material, with scaffolding between the rigid support frame wall and the building wall to allow workers to access the building while being protected from external weather conditions.

Turning now to FIG. 1 , a temporary enclosure 10 is illustrated enveloping a building 12 undergoing renovation. The building 12 comprises external walls 14 and a roof 16, with the interior floor level 18 indicated. In the exemplary embodiment the scaffolding will be temporarily connected to the floor level 18 during renovations.

While the flexible cover material 20 is not shown in FIG. 1 (it is shown in FIG. 2 ), the rigid support frame 22 is illustrated comprising enclosure wall supports which are storey poles 24, scaffolding 26 and roof component 32. The flexible cover material 20, which is preferably but not necessarily composed of a tarpaulin material, is preferably provided with openings to allow access to the enclosure 10 interior, such as for one non-limiting example garage or full gable style access points in front and back, with means to fasten and unfasten such openings such as zippers, ties or hook-and-loop fasteners. The roof component 32 and individual truss components 34 are illustrated in this embodiment as a fixed conventional truss design, although an alternative adjustable truss design is illustrated in FIG. 4 as described below. In some exemplary embodiments, steel purlin strapping may be used to join the truss components 34 together in a conventional manner. To enable enclosure of the building 12, the rigid support frame 22 is wider than the building walls 14 and higher than the building roof 16, and if the renovation involves adding an additional floor to the building 12 then that should be taken into account when determining the height of the enclosure 10.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the scaffolding 26 is connected to the building wall 14 at the building floor level 18. Although only a single scaffolding 26 is shown such as would be used when adding an upper floor as part of the renovations, in some embodiments of the present invention more than one scaffolding 26 would be connected between the storey poles 24 and the building wall 14, for example at first and second floor levels 18.

FIGS. 1 and 2 also show the storey poles 24 supported on foundation support elements, which in the illustrated embodiment are pilings 30. This foundation support may not be required in all embodiments, and alternatively or additionally other anchoring means (not shown) may be employed to secure the enclosure 10. In some situations where pilings 30 may be difficult to implement, beam supports may instead be utilized running the length of the rigid support frame 22, where a beam support is provided with apertures for receiving the bottom ends of the storey poles 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates in top plan view an exemplary scaffolding 26 design, wherein the scaffolding 26 comprises pole slots 28 on the outward edge 48 for receipt and securing of the storey poles 24, and connection locations 42 on the inward edge 50 for use in securing the scaffolding 26 to the building wall 14 (for example by screws, bolts or other conventional fastening means used in construction). As seen in FIG. 1 , the scaffolding 26 can be supported by temporary support brackets 44 at least until the storey poles 24 are in place and secured to support the outward edges of the scaffolding 26. The scaffolding 26 may further comprise guardrails (not shown) or any other suitable features seen as desirable by the skilled person. The scaffolding 26 is shown with support webbing 46 for workers to walk on, but wooden panels or any other suitable and secure form or walking surface may be used in the judgement of the skilled person.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative roofing concept, for use in preparing roof components 32 for different sized buildings 12. In this design, each of the truss components making up the roof component would comprise a central ridge component 36 (which would be the peak of the roof) and two peripheral heel components 38 (which would be connected to the tops of the storey poles 24). The central ridge component 36 would be connected to each of the peripheral heel components 38 by a connection member 40, which connection members 40 can be manufactured to a desired length required for the size of the enclosure 10 necessary for the building 12 under renovation. The connection members 40 could be rigid steel members or cord, as long as the necessary strength is achieved. Where steel cord is used as the connection members 40, the width of the roof component 32 could be easily adjusted as necessary for a specific work setting.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the present invention. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the exemplary embodiments set forth in the foregoing, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the specification as a whole. 

1. A temporary enclosure for covering a building under renovation, the temporary enclosure comprising: a flexible cover material; and a rigid support frame supporting the flexible cover material, the rigid support frame comprising: enclosure wall supports; and scaffolding connecting the enclosure wall supports and the building; the rigid support frame sized and configured to fully envelop the building; wherein the flexible cover material and the rigid support frame when fully enveloping the building reduce inclement weather access to the building during the renovation.
 2. The temporary enclosure of claim 1 wherein the flexible cover material is composed of tarpaulin.
 3. The temporary enclosure of claim 1 wherein the scaffolding comprises pole slots along an outward edge thereof and the enclosure wall supports comprise storey poles configured for receipt and securing within the pole slots.
 4. The temporary enclosure of claim 1 wherein the scaffolding comprises guardrails.
 5. The temporary enclosure of claim 3 wherein the storey poles are supported on foundation support elements.
 6. The temporary enclosure of claim 5 wherein the foundation support elements comprise pilings.
 7. The temporary enclosure of claim 1 wherein the rigid support frame comprises a roof component mounted on the enclosure wall supports.
 8. The temporary enclosure of claim 7 wherein the roof component comprises a plurality of truss components.
 9. The temporary enclosure of claim 8 wherein each of the truss components comprises a central ridge component and two peripheral heel components, the central ridge component connectable to the peripheral heel components by connection members of lengths selected for or adjustable to the size of the building.
 10. The temporary enclosure of claim 1 wherein the scaffolding comprises connection locations along an inward edge thereof for connecting the scaffolding to the building.
 11. The temporary enclosure of claim 10 wherein the scaffolding is configured and positioned for connection to the building at a floor level of the building.
 12. The temporary enclosure of claim 10 further comprising additional upper scaffolding above the scaffolding for connection to the enclosure wall supports and the building.
 13. The temporary enclosure of claim 12 wherein the additional upper scaffolding is configured and positioned for connection to the building at an upper floor level of the building.
 14. The temporary enclosure of claim 3 wherein the scaffolding is temporarily supported by a bracket against the building until receipt and securing of the storey poles in the pole slots. 